Fruitcakes and Basketcases
by Erutan Xiku
Summary: During a battle with a swarm of Hollows, Nova has a portal accident and ends up stranding Ichigo and Orihime in a different world! Current Chapter: 9
1. Chapter One

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Author's Note: I've been out of the game for a while; hopefully I've developed since my earlier works. This story was written at the request of an ex-friend of mine, and it seemed like such a waste to leave it.

Disclaimer: All characters in this story do not belong to me and all copyright belongs to their respective creators, i.e. Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo and Fruits Basket belongs to Natsuki Takaya.

Chapter One

'_Damn it! What is this strange _reiatsu_? It just appeared out of nowhere,'_ Ichigo Kurosaki thought this as he pelted across the street, oblivious to the car that came to a screeching stop. All he cared about was whether this new presence was a threat, which judging by the gradually appearing and more familiar signatures seemed more likely. He cursed again and came to a stop, ignoring the cyclist that had to swerve to miss him, _'It's no good just running towards the general direction…I don't even know where it actually is,'_ He closed his eyes and focused his mind, cancelling out the profanities being hurled his way, the mutters of disapproval, the sounds of traffic, the rustle of the leaves, the beating of his heart, and felt his senses sharpen as he performed the feat he had done so long ago on instinct.

He felt the hairs along his body stand on end and opened his eyes to a world of white ribbons. He cast his gaze about, scanning each one as he sought out the elusive marker, the flutter of red. A triumphant grin spread across his face as he snatched up the tail and raced with it, following it to its source. He came to a stop at a bridge overlooking the battle-site and surveyed the situation; Shuuhei and Izuru were directing the Hollow's attack, flanking it on both sides, while Chad focused on getting in as many hard hits as possible. Suddenly Shuuhei had disappeared, only to reappear on the other side of the beast as Nova pulled him through a portal, narrowly missing the blast sent by a second Hollow. The new arrival didn't stay for long, disintegrating from the arrow shot by Uryuu, only for three more to appear in its place. He watched, noting that both Renji and Rukia were doing their best to control the situation, while Orihime attacked from behind her shield, sending Tsubaki at the minions of the main target.

He clenched his fists about the rail and vaulted himself over; he needed to get down there to lend support. Chad was strong, but two heavy-hitters would get the job done faster and minimise the risk of danger to civilians. He slid down the slope, jumping off at the last moment and came onto the scene.

"Ichigo!" Orihime exclaimed, sparing a moment to look his way before directing Tsubaki's next attack.

"You finally made it," Uryuu said, launching five arrows in succession, hitting the three and two new ones. Ichigo nodded, only to feel himself being pulled and landed heavily on another side, watching the space he had just been at blow into dust. He looked to his side and saw Nova, sweat covering what was visible of his brow and noted his laboured breathing. Before he could say anything, the Mod-Soul had disappeared and reappeared beside Orihime, having seen the attack directed her way.

Taking advantage of this time, Ichigo reached for his badge only to feel an impact knock him back, followed by the chorus of his name as he sailed through the air. He landed heavily and cried out, his badge flying from his grasp and he scrambled for it. His fingers closed about it just as he felt himself being pulled away; he knew it was Nova, but was confused when he saw long, orange hair and then worried when he heard a panicked sound escape the Mod-Soul as his grip slipped.


	2. Chapter Two

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Author's Note: Realised one chapter wasn't enough to form an opinion on, so here's Chapter Two...a little earlier than hoped...

Chapter Two

Ichigo had the wind driven out of him as he came out the other end of the portal, landing on a hard surface and having who he assumed to be Orihime land on top of him. His head was spinning and ached from the impact, he couldn't make sense of what he saw but he felt Orihime move.

"Ow…that hurt," she mumbled, as she pushed herself up and cradled her head, "but at least my landing wasn't so bad…" her words trailed off as her vision came into focus, bringing into clarity four sets of stunned and confused faces.

"My, my…what an unexpected surprise," the oldest of the four said. She turned her attention and saw a middle-aged man smiling at her. He had black hair and wore a kimono; he seemed to have been reading the paper. Sensing her gaze, he looked at her properly and smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously, "but not completely unwelcome," As if his words had broken the spell that had settled, everyone broke into exclamations:

"Wha-?!"

"Wh-Who are you?!"

"Oh my God! Are you okay?!"

At the clattering sound of a tray and its contents, Ichigo shot up with a shocked cry and smacked his head into Orihime's.

"Could it be?" the man wondered, studying them closely, "Could it really be…" he peered closer as the two rubbed their heads, "_twins_?!" At his joyful proclamation, Ichigo turned to stare dumbly at the speaker, "Although _you're_ not very cute…"

"Oh!" Orihime cut in before the teen could snipe back, "We're sorry for the intrusion, my name's Orihime-arrgh!"

"Inoue!" Ichigo exclaimed, shoving her off of him while jumping to the nearest wall. He stood there, heart pounding; he had reacted on impulse upon realising their somewhat compromising position on this family's table.

"Oww…Ichigo, couldn't you have been a bit more gentle?" Orihime said, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"Yeah, Ichigo, girls are delicate," the older man reprimanded, "you can't go around pushing them over like that,"

"What a brute," one of the boys uttered in a soft voice.

"Hey! Don't go judging me!" Ichigo shot back, "I don't even know your names, so what makes you think you can use mine?!"

"Oh you're right!" the girl exclaimed, "I'm Tohru Honda," she bowed in greeting, then gestured to the older man, "this is Shigure, Yuki and Ky…oh?" everyone looked to the empty space she was gesturing to, only to see Orihime cocking her head in confusion.

"Can't…breathe…" a strained voice emerged from where she was sitting. The young girl turned to look behind her, as she suddenly became aware of something and jumped up.

"Ooh! A kitty!" she cried out in excitement, snatching up the bundle of ginger into her arms.

"Argh! Uh, m-meow!" the cat managed.

"Ah! Kyo!" Tohru panicked, apparently unsure of what to do. Ichigo noted the sighs from the other two, while Orihime fussed over the cat and Tohru grew increasingly worried, _'The cat's called _'Kyo'_?'_ he wondered, _'Why bother introducing a cat?'_

"You're so cute and soft!" she said, bringing the cat in for a hug…and that's when things went strange.

"What are you stupid?!" the cat screeched, "There's no way I wanna…" it trailed off, realising that everyone was watching. Orihime stared and blinked for some time, before doing something unexpected herself.

"Look Ichigo!" she exclaimed, turning to the surprised boy, "It's a talking cat, just like Yoruichi!" Ichigo blinked in stunned silence, _'C-cats…shouldn't talk!'_

"Looks like the stupid cat's blown his cover…" Yuki sighed.

"Oh, do you think it's a girl like Yoruichi since it sounds like a boy?" Orihime asked, as she began to inspect the cat.

"Hey! Don't go looking down there!" the cat cried desperately, as it struggled in her grasp, "Where's your sense of decency?!" At that moment, as if the God's themselves were having fun, or out of sheer poor timing and bad luck, a burst of smoke exploded from the cat's vicinity and an orange-haired boy appeared, scrambling for his clothes.

"Nope…definitely a boy," the girl managed before passing out from the shock.

"Ooh…perhaps someone should have caught her?" Shigure hazarded, as he looked about, "Where's her boyfriend? Seeing as it's his duty,"

"Seems like he passed out from the shock of it all too," Yuki said, coming to stand over the boy, "Where did the cat go?"

"Kyo ran off somewhere," came the short reply, as the older man thought about what to do.

"Is he okay?" Tohru asked, looking as if she were going to go after him, but unsure about leaving what with the way things were.

"Sure he's fine, ego's just bruised…he'll be back when he cools down," Shigure said in an attempt to calm her nerves, "besides, I think our unexpected guests need to be made a little comfortable, lend a hand?"


	3. Chapter Three

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Chapter Three

"My, my, Kyo…you really should be more careful," a man's voice chided, "I really thought that all your training would have sharpened your senses,"

"My training has nothing to do with stuff that I can't control!" an angry voice snapped back, "Like I could tell that guy would have pushed that girl in my direction," Ichigo stirred, _'What's with the raised voices?'_ he parted his eyes, blinking them into focus and saw a ceiling he didn't recognise, _'Where…am I?'_

"Looks like the boy's woken up…" a soft voice said.

"How're you feeling?" a girl asked in a kind tone, poking her head into his line of vision, _'Who…Tohru, was it?'_

"Ah!" Ichigo jolted up, barely missing the girl's head had she not been pulled back. He looked around at the people in the room, "Where…am I?"

"Hmm…this could be troublesome," the oldest of the group said, "you passed out after…that incident in our living room, and your girlfriend didn't take it so well either," The teen frowned at the last statement, _'Girlfriend?'_, and turned to look to his side.

"Inoue!" he uttered in alarm, "Is she okay?" he reached out a hand, but wasn't sure what to do. As if in response, Orihime stirred and opened her eyes slowly, focusing on Ichigo.

"Morning, Ichigo," she smiled, as he visibly relaxed.

"Yeah, you alright?" he asked, not caring that she had the time of day wrong. She was about to reply, when the older man cut in.

"Well, it's good to have you both up," he chimed, "but just in case it didn't sink in the first time, I'm Shigure Sohma," he introduced, then gestured to the others, "my sons, Yuki and Kyo and my mistress, Tohru Honda," An uncomfortable aura settled upon the room, as the words sank in.

"Where do you get off spouting that crap?!" Kyo yelled, while Tohru panicked and attempted to calm him.

"Miss. Honda, please, get away from that pitiful excuse for a man," Yuki said, putting a hand on her to keep her from going near them, "I can't believe he'd stoop so low,"

"B-but…Kyo…" she stammered helplessly.

"I'd rather die than be your son; who could stand to have _you_ as a dad?!" the boy continued to rage, "And you," he turned to Tohru, "just how many times have I told you, don't just let him get away with it, say something!"

"Y-yes…" came her timid reply.

"Don't bully Miss. Honda like that," Yuki sniped, narrowing his eyes, "and there's no need to raise your voice,"

"I'm not raising my voice!" Kyo shouted.

"Yes, you are," the other retorted, "I think the neighbours across town can hear you," This seemed to have the desired effect and Kyo stammered into silence, unable to think of a suitable comeback. Having watched the scene quietly, Orihime suddenly burst out laughing, drawing everyone's attention.

"Oh wow!" she chuckled, "They're just like you and Uryuu, Ichigo!"

"Wha…" the boy felt his cheeks redden at the comparison, "They're nothing like us!"

"As cute as this is," Shigure interrupted, "and while we almost did forget about you during lively Kyo's ranting, do you mind telling us who you are?"

"I'm Orihime," the girl said cheerfully, "and this is Ichigo,"

"That's your real name?" Kyo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, what of it?" Ichigo said, his eyes narrowing, evidently not liking where this was going. A snort came from Shigure's direction, and the teen rounded on him.

"W-well," the man managed, obviously stifling a laugh, "introductions out of the way, how did you get here?" The two fell silent at the question and Ichigo spoke up.

"Where is 'here' exactly?" he asked, not wanting to reveal the how's quite yet, _'If I tell them off the bat, there's no telling how they'll react…' _Shigure appraised him for a moment then humoured him.

"'_Here' _would be my house," he replied matter-of-factly.

"That's not what I meant," Ichigo sighed, "are we still in Karakura Town?"

"Kara…kura Town?" Yuki echoed, "Don't think we've heard of it," At this, both Ichigo and Orihime looked at each other, mirroring confused and worried expressions.

"You…don't think…" she began, but was unable to finish.

"That Nova…lost us?" she lowered her head at his words, "It looks like it," instead of feeling defeat, Ichigo clenched his fist, _'Guys…'_ "Damn it! Does that mean we're stuck here, while they could be…!"

"Tohru," Shigure said, sensing this could take a while, "would you mind making some tea please? It looks like our guests could use some," Tohru looked at the two and nodded.

"I'll help," Yuki said, following her into the kitchen. Kyo stayed sitting where he was, watching while pretending not to be interested.

"We have to find a way back…" Ichigo said through clenched teeth, while Orihime glanced at him silently.

"Why not relax for now, a lot has happened in a short time," Shigure said, not even glancing from the paper he had taken to reading again.

"How can you say that?" the boy snapped, "You don't know what we were in the middle of when this happened,"

"Well…" the older man looked up and glanced between the two, "I can hazard a guess, based on your…" a devilish light flashed in his eyes, "_interesting_ entrance,"

"Wha…" Ichigo looked shocked, "just what are you suggesting?"

"What do you think I'm getting at?" the other responded slyly, _'Come on, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what I'm saying,'_, he glanced at Kyo who still seemed oblivious, _'Although some are just _special_ cases,'_

"Are you saying that you know how to get us back?!" the young teen asked hopefully, his voice rising in his excitement. There was a moment of silence between the two, as Shigure blinked in disbelief.

"What are you, dense?!" he cried, suddenly coming to his feet, "I can't believe there's someone else who's like the ogre sitting there!" Kyo narrowed his eyes at the finger pointing his way.

"Don't go dragging me into your rants, you dumb dog!" he yelled defensively.

"At least you picked up on what I was saying, didn't you?" Shigure beseeched hopefully, turning to Orihime, but at the clueless cock of her head and nervous laugh, he understood that she didn't, "Does no-one understand me in this household?!"

"Tea's ready," Tohru chimed, coming in with a tray full of cups and a pot, while Yuki trailed in with another full of snacks.

"Oh my, Tohru, such wonderful timing," the older man said humbly, completely changing his tune, "would you mind pouring my cup first after the guests?" The girl nodded and voiced her assent, as she went about serving everyone and the two boys passed dark looks in the man's direction, "Ah, such delicious tea, my dear," Kyo twitched visibly at this, but silently chomped on his taiyaki, while the man turned his attention back to their guests, who hadn't touched their cups yet, "At least have a sip, you'll offend Tohru if you don't," The two looked up at the girl, who began to panic and try to convince them otherwise. Ichigo sighed and forced a sip, which encouraged Orihime to do the same, "There now," Shigure said gently, "that should have hydrated your throats enough to explain your situation," the young boy twitched, but took in a breath, deciding not to insult their hospitality.


	4. Chapter Four

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Chapter Four

"We…we came here by accident," he began, his body tensing as he relived the moments before their arrival, "w-we were fighting…"

"We were fighting a monster," Orihime continued, "but we weren't careful and our friend, Nova," her voice fell at the thought of him, "he can teleport and he'd been doing that the whole battle, so he must have been really tired when he tried to get both me and Ichigo out of harms way…" she wavered, "our friends are still there…fighting…" Silence filled the room, as everyone looked at them, trying to determine the truth of their words.

"Teleportation could explain why you landed out of nowhere on our table," Shigure mused.

"Don't tell me that you _actually_ believe them, Shigure," Yuki said in astonishment.

"I am a writer after all; having an open mind's part of the job description," the man replied confidently, "Tell me…how were you intending to fight a monster," he appraised the two teens, "you don't look equipped to do so,"

"Um, that is…" the girl uttered, searching for the right words.

"We don't know if we can show you," the boy stepped in, "I'm not really a buff on this topic, but…"

"Are you trying to say that different worlds have different rules?" Shigure offered.

"I guess…" Ichigo mused, "but we could give it a try and see what happens," he pulled out his badge, "You see, assuming that you believe us, where we come from there are spiritual beings called Soul Reapers," he paused to appraise everyone, _'Doesn't seem like they're gonna call the men in white,'_ then continued, "they fight the monsters, which are evil spirits to release them and guide the good spirits to the other side, this badge," he held it up, "activates my power as a Soul Reaper; don't ask how I became one, that's a long story, but basically my spirit just leaves my body and that makes it look like I've passed out,"

"Since you're a spirit, that means we can't see you," Kyo spoke up, his expression evidently displaying his opinion, "how can you prove that you've done what you say you can?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed and he was about to say something in retaliation, when he saw a shadow around the other but it had gone when he blinked to focus his eyes, _'What was that?'_

"S-spirit…as in g-ghost?" Tohru stammered.

"Miss. Honda, I'm sure he doesn't mean the scary kind," Yuki soothed, placing a hand on her arm as he smiled, "right?" he cast a look towards the boy.

"Definitely," Ichigo said, understanding the defensive expression, "besides, I can't even see any around here, can you Inoue?" As she was about to agree, Tohru's panic escalated.

"Y-you mean you can see them?!" she exclaimed fearfully.

"Y-yeah, I mean no!" the boy stammered, "I mean in our world we can, but there's nothing here…" Tohru turned to Orihime and she voiced her agreement, which seemed to relax her a little, "…which is why I don't think our powers might work…"

"'_Our_'?" Shigure echoed, "Up until now you kept referring to yourself as being a…'Soul Reaper'," he turned to the young girl, "do you have powers too?"

"Yes…I do," she replied, "but like Ichigo, I don't know if they're going to work…" she turned to him, "why don't you give yours a go and then I'll try?" He looked at her for a moment and then nodded. Gripping the badge, he took in a deep breath and braced himself as he slammed it into his chest. Silence filled the room as everyone waited, _'That looked like it hurt,'_ was the collective thought, "I-Ichigo, are you alright?" Orihime asked, knowing that he hadn't left his body.

"Guess…it didn't work," he replied, straining to keep the pain out of his voice, _'That may leave a mark…'_ He looked at her, "Give yours a go," she nodded in response and, with what looked to be little effort, her hairpins glowed and disappeared, reforming into six miniature winged beings floating before her. There was a collective sound of surprise from the occupants of the room, and even Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes, _'Her power _worked_?!'_


	5. Chapter Five

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Chapter Five

"How may we be of service?" Shunou asked in a tone that sounded more like a greeting than a question. The girl cried out when a powerful kick connected with her head, "Tsubaki!"

"I've told the woman time and again, not to summon us for no reason!" the rogue-looking sprite growled, "Stupid wench!"

"Wha-Those things talk?!" came Kyo's exclamation, as Orihime managed a nervous laugh. At his outburst, the Six Princess Shielding Flowers turned their attention towards him, causing him to twitch uncomfortably.

"My, my, it appears this one can see us!" proclaimed Hinagiku, "How curious!"

"But I don't sense any reiatsu from him," Lily said, cocking her head to one side.

"Well we did listen to their topic of discussion," Shunou ventured, "thinking about it, it would make sense why Orihime would want to summon us,"

"Of course!" Hinagiku chimed, "Considering we're not in our natural environment, she must have wanted to make sure we could protect her,"

"When you put it like that…" Tsubaki grumbled, casting his eyes over the damage he had inflicted.

"So then why is it that we are here," Ayame wondered, "but Mr. Kurosaki can't go Soul Reaper?"

"Could it be our nature?" Baigon offered.

"N-nature? What do you mean?" Yuki asked, drawing attention to himself. Shunou paused and looked between the occupants of the room, noting that everyone's eyes were trained on them, _'So everyone _can_ see us…'_

"We're beings that exist outside time and space, since our abilities are something along those lines," she explained, "I suppose whether a world is spiritually inclined doesn't matter to us, unlike Ichigo who needs a spiritual world to activate his powers," There was a collective sound of understanding rippling from the audience, "As to why you can see us, I guess it's because in a spiritual world we can hide easily, but in a world without those laws we're exposed…quite a disadvantage,"

"Hmm…" Shigure uttered in thought, "I suppose that makes sense, and the sprites are irrefutable proof that you don't belong here,"

"So…what are you saying?" Ichigo asked, as the Guardians piled on top of Tsubaki to prevent him from unleashing his wrath at the insulting term.

"Well, you have nowhere else to go, so you may stay here until you find a way to get back home," the man declared.

"Seriously?!" the boy exclaimed in disbelief, but any response was cut off as Orihime stepped in.

"Oh, thank you," she said humbly, recalling the Six Princess Shielding Flowers as she bowed, "We'll help in whatever way we can until then,"

"It's quite alright," Shigure smiled and then turned his attention, "allow us to celebrate by finishing off this lovely tea!"

"You do realise its gone cold now, right?" Kyo said, eyeing the older man suspiciously.

"Oh my, it has!" Tohru exclaimed, "I'll make a fresh pot right away,"

"Uh, but it would be a waste to throw this away," Orihime said, stopping the girl in her tracks and downed the cup, "how refreshing," she added in satisfaction.

"Y-you actually drank it?" Ichigo uttered, looking at the girl in surprise.

"Oh, you don't like cold tea, Ichigo?" she asked with interest, "But it's very tasty,"

"Um…okay…" the boy managed, then took a sip, "y-yeah, it's really good, so you don't have to go to the trouble," he said earnestly, looking at Tohru.

"It's no trouble," she said smiling, "but it may be best if I do make some more and then work on dinner," she stood up and noticed the number of snacks left, "please try the taiyaki, you haven't eaten a thing yet," at her request, the two of them realised the truth in her words and helped themselves.

"Oh, wow!" Orihime exclaimed, chewing on a piece, "This is really good!" Tohru blushed at the comment, "Did you make this yourself?"

"Y-yes, I did," she replied bashfully, "if you'd like…I could teach you to make it," she gasped, "Oh! That is if you're at all interested to know,"

"That's our Domestic Goddess," Shigure chimed, "we could expect nothing less, what's on the menu tonight?"

"That's right!" Tohru said in realisation, "What do you two prefer? Uh, what I mean is, are there any particular foods you don't like or can't eat?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about us," Orihime replied in embarrassment.

"Not really," Ichigo said, "I think we like most things, if Inoue's lunches are anything to go by,"

"Ah, Ichigo!" the girl said, her cheeks flaring, "You can't go around saying things like that,"

"What? It's true," the boy replied defensively, "I don't see anything to get worked up over," Orihime was about to say something back, when Tohru let slip a chuckle.

"Alright," she said, noticing their attention on her, "I'll make one of our favourites to welcome you," and made her way to the kitchen with a smile. With her departure, everyone fell into an awkward silence that was only broken up by the clattering of utensils from the kitchen.


	6. Chapter Six

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Chapter Six

"So…" Ichigo began after a while, taking a bite from the tasty snack, "what's the deal with the cat?" he noted that the air became heavier, as the three Sohma's visibly stiffened at the question and Orihime blushed at the sudden memory.

"I'm going to go check on the tea," Yuki said, brusquely retreating out of the room without waiting to be excused. He could feel the piercing daggers that Kyo targeted at his back, _'I don't care if I look like a coward, I'm not the idiot that put us in this mess,'_

"Well…" Shigure cleared his throat and shot a look at Kyo, "it ran away after the two of you fainted,"

"Ran away?" the boy questioned, "But I'm pretty sure it transformed into…" he trailed off, his eyes landing upon the increasingly reddening person in the room.

"I-Ichigo, can't we just let it go?" Orihime beseeched nervously.

"Inoue…" he said, looking at her in surprise.

"I see I returned too soon," came Yuki's exasperated tone, as he re-entered the room with a full tray, "can't we just explain and have Hatori deal with it afterwards?" he said, as he proceeded to serve the fresh pot of tea.

"A fair point," the elder Sohma said, taking a sip.

"No way! You're actually going to tell them?!" Kyo burst out.

"Well, I won't if you're going to do it," the man replied, as the boy grit his teeth.

"Don't you think it's fair to explain?" Ichigo asked simply, "_Especially_ after we told you about us,"

"It's _our_ house you crashed into!" Kyo stressed, "So you _should_ tell us about yourselves,"

"Not if we disappeared right after, or took the time and ran for it!" the boy snapped back.

"You're outsiders, so we don't have to tell you our family secrets!" the elder teen retorted.

"Quiet!" Shigure snarled, "It's bad enough having Yuki and Kyo duke it out on a regular basis, now you're on the list too?" the man sighed heavily, "Fine, I'll explain everything," he turned to his younger cousins, "and _no_ protesting," He took a sip of his tea and placed a serious gaze upon his guests, "Are you familiar with the story of the Chinese Zodiac?"

"The one about the twelve animals invited to a banquet or something?" Ichigo replied, "What about it?"

"It wasn't twelve, Ichigo, it was _thirteen_," Orihime corrected, then elaborated upon his puzzled expression, "the lion was invited too, but it lost the race because there were only twelve seats at the table, and all the invited animals raced to get there,"

"Lion?" the boy echoed, "Now that you mention it, yeah, but I'm pretty sure it was a cat and it was tricked into thinking it was the next day, so it missed out,"

"A cat? Really?!" the girl said in surprise, "But a lion would be so much cooler, then it could wreak revenge for being tricked like that," she continued animatedly, "but wait…I'm pretty sure that's why the lion was made king of the jungle, because the person who held the banquet felt sorry about it losing the race,"

"Pfft, and I bet the simpleton bought into the consolation prize," Yuki chuckled coldly, as Kyo began to emit a dangerous aura.

"Regardless," Shigure cut in, attempting to diffuse the atmosphere, "a curse is passed down through the Sohma family, in which thirteen members transform into the zodiac animals," he paused to gauge their reactions, of which there was none, "so the cat you saw was Kyo, and including myself and Yuki there are twelve others, it should be noted that we only transform when hugged by the opposite sex or under extreme physical stress,"

"So, that girl Tohru…" Ichigo uttered, "she's…"

"Normal, yes," the man replied, "I understand it must seem odd that we'd let a normal girl live with us, considering we're all cursed males, but I suppose one could say the circumstances are…complicated," The young boy seemed to be mulling over the information, when he fixed a steady gaze upon the man.


	7. Chapter Seven

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Chapter: Seven

"Do you _seriously_ expect us to believe that your family is cursed?" he asked, eyeing them steadily as they blinked in surprise at the question.

"What makes you question it?" Kyo hissed, his gaze becoming a sharp glare, "It's no more ridiculous than yours," he spat.

"We've shown you proof," Ichigo countered, "All we've seen are a cat and a boy, and our memories of the supposed incident connecting the two are hazy at best," The older teen blinked in disbelief, his cheeks reddening slightly as his gaze caught Orihime's matching expression.

"I'm a willing volunteer!" Shigure chimed, to which Kyo snapped and tossed his cup at the man's head.

"How lewd can you be?!" he yelled, "Don't you have any shame?!"

"I'm a lonely old man," the other whimpered, "it gets expensive paying for it all the time,"

"That's a little too much information Shigure," a more mature voice said in exasperation, "besides, it's a criminal offence for a man of your age to be preying upon young girls,"

"Who're you?" Ichigo asked, fixing the new arrival with a wary gaze. The man returned the look with an indifferent expression, _'Do you _always_ greet people you just met like that?'_ he thought.

"Hatori," Yuki said in surprise, "why're you here?"

"I called him," Shigure explained, then turned his attention to his friend, "why must your timing always be off, it's like you're tuned in to always ruin my fun," he huffed, "besides, she's eye-candy at best,"

"An even more disturbing thought," the man sighed, rolling his eyes, "I'm assuming that these two," he indicated the new arrivals, "are the ones you called me over to treat?"

"'_Treat?'_" Ichigo echoed, "What do you mean? We didn't hurt ourselves," Hatori looked at the boy and sat before him.

"I was told that you had hit your head upon arrival," he explained, as he began his examination, "while I only take family members, Shigure insisted…you seem fine though," he said, moving onto Orihime, "where are you from?"

"Why do you ask?" the young teen asked warily.

"I don't recognise your uniforms, so I thought I'd ask in case you needed help getting home," the man replied, eyeing the two in curiosity.

"Checking out high-school kids?" Shigure chimed playfully, "You are a beast," he swallowed when the doctor sent him a withering glare, "Haha, just kidding, but yes, our guests are from out of town," he answered, then continued as he made up the rest, "the story we're going to go with is that they're exchange students whose partners are having domestic problems and Yuki, being the Student Council President, opted to have them stay with us,"

"Why me?" the teen asked in surprise.

"Did you not hear me, dear Yuki?" the writer asked in return, "Because you are the Student Council President, and thus you are obligated to be an upstanding, model student to the rest of the Student Body,"

"But what would Akito say about it?" the other mused, testing how far his older cousin had thought it out.

"That's why Hatori's here," he chimed, "he can easily relay the message and make it sound like you had no real choice in the matter,"

"There's no way that'll fly," Kyo snorted.

"Only if you don't stick to it with real conviction," Shigure said matter-of-factly and then looked at his best friend, who had been listening in silence, "Well, Hatori, will you help us with this?"


	8. Chapter Eight

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Chapter Eight

"Allow me to backtrack," he said, closing his eyes as he sorted the information, "you said it was the story you were _'going to go with'_," he glanced at the two teens, who listened quietly to the discussion, "do I want to know the real reason behind their being here?" he asked cautiously, placing a steady gaze upon his friend.

"Depends on how badly you want to know and whether it'll help convey the story more convincingly," the other replied, meeting the gaze. They regarded each other for some time before Tohru came in from the kitchen, breaking the silence.

"Dinner will be ready in a while, so I thought I'd clear the ta-" she paused as her eyes landed on their additional guest, "H-Hatori! Welcome! How are you? I'm sorry I didn't greet you when you arrived!" she exclaimed, becoming flustered, as she bowed before him.

"Good evening, Tohru," he said, smiling kindly, "it's quite alright, are you keeping well?"

"Ah, y-yes, I'm fine thank you," she replied, visibly relaxing, "will you be staying for dinner?"

"Unfortunately, no," he said with genuine regret, "I came for a quick check-up and Akito will be wondering where I've gotten to,"

"Ah, I see," the girl said in understanding, "please, give him my regards and be careful on your way," she smiled, "It was good to see again,"

"Likewise and thank you," the doctor said warmly. He stood up and cast a glance over Ichigo and Orihime once more, before placing a stern gaze on Shigure.

"Ah, I'll see you out," the writer said, catching the silent message. The two men stepped out, while Kyo and Yuki helped with preparing the table for dinner.

"I don't know what you're up to," Hatori said, once they had stepped outside, "but having them stay couldn't surely work towards your goal,"

"I don't know," Shigure deliberated, "but if it does, all the better," he added smugly, catching the disapproving glance thrown his way.

"Do they know about us?" the other asked, already guessing the answer.

"Of course," the writer affirmed, "there was an incident that needed explaining," his friend raised a sceptic eyebrow, "and since they won't be here for long, I didn't see the harm,"

"It never ceases to amaze me," the doctor began, after some time, "the way you can sound so arrogant without even trying,"

"Come now," the other replied, "I don't wish those children any harm, they just happened to land on my doorstep," he shrugged. Hatori narrowed his eyes and weighed his friend, measuring how much of what he said was actually true to him, _'Sometimes I wonder just how much I really know you,'_ he thought, _'even after all these years,'_ Eventually, he sighed and stepped away, walking towards his car, "Going already?"

"I won't interfere with what you're doing," he replied, swinging the driver's side door open, "and I won't ask where they're really from, but," he stopped and looked at his friend once more, "I'll be keeping an eye and if anything does happen, I won't be against nor with you,"

"I think you've told me something like that before," Shigure said, scratching his head in thought.

"It can't hurt to drive the message home," came his friend's reply, before he slid into the driver's seat and closed the door.


	9. Chapter Nine

Fruitcakes and Basket-cases

Chapter Nine

"How's Nova?" Chad asked, rising to his feet as Urahara stepped into the room. He held out his hand, handing the teen the stuffed toy that Nova used as his other body.

"He's fine, just overworked," Urahara replied, "I've transferred him into this body to help him recover quicker, but there's no telling how long it will take," Chad gave a silent nod and cradled the sleeping Mod-Soul, "Oh, where are Rukia and Uryuu?"

"They went home," Chad replied, "Rukia said she had to cover for Ichigo and Uryuu just left," The shopkeeper made a sound of curiosity in response.

"Do you think," Izuru began, his tone bearing the slightest hint of uncertainty, "that when he wakes up, he'll be able to bring them back?" The shopkeeper appraised him a moment, casting his gaze upon the gathered Soul Reapers, their eyes asking the same question.

"Honestly…" he began, his own tone expressing his concern, "I can't say for sure; even though I created them, it's Nova's powers that I understand the least," he paused a moment, deciding to express a theory he had been toying with, "I _do_ have a theory, but it would help if Nova was able to tell me if I'm right or whether he's aware of it, after all, until now, I haven't had a reason to even consider such a thing,"

"Do you mind explaining," Renji said, a little exasperated, "I don't think _anyone_ knows what you're on about,"

"Ah right, I was just thinking of the right way to put it," Urahara explained, "As I said, until now I haven't had a reason to think about this, but considering Nova can teleport and apparently carries another dimension within himself, what if, while teleporting within our world, he is able to temporarily pass between other dimensions?" Silence fell upon the group and he waited, hoping that they were attempting to make sense of his theory and that he wouldn't have to resort to explaining it. After several moments, Renji looked about to say something, when Izuru spoke up.

"I…think I get the idea," he said slowly, still mulling the theory over, "vaguely…" Shuuhei made a sound of agreement and Chad nodded silently, while Renji felt his face begin to redden.

"Well can someone explain it to _me_?" he asked a little heatedly, "Urahara's explanation is too abstract!"

"Heh, you don't have to be so snappy, Renji," Izuru said light-heartedly, "it _is_ a difficult idea to wrap one's head around," the red-haired Soul Reaper glared back, obviously not amused, "Uh, right," the blond began, clearing his throat, "well to have this theory make sense, you have to assume that our world is one reality," he paused to see if his companion was following, only to be met with an unreadable expression and so continued, "with this idea, we have to assume again that there are other realities that exist alongside our world, occupying the same space,"

"Alternate realities," Shuuhei cut in, "it's not too hard a concept to grasp when you look at our world, which has three realities co-existing," understanding began to dawn upon the 6th Squad Lieutenant, and this was reflected in his expression.

"So…" he began cautiously, "you're saying that Ichigo and Orihime may still be here, but in another reality that veils this one?"

"Something like that, but not quite," the dark-haired Lieutenant replied, "rather than it being another veil of this world like Soul Society or Hueco Mundo, this is an altogether different reality, one in which the world may have developed differently and so is not connected with ours," Renji's brow furrowed as he absorbed the information and the colour suddenly drained from his face.

"But…that would mean they could be _anywhere_…" he said hoarsely, as the others' expressions became grim, "the world could have developed any number of times!"

"And then there's String Theory," Chad added sombrely, as the gravity of the situation weighed heavily upon them, "the idea that the world takes a different path each time a choice is made; in one world Choice A is carried out, while Choice B is what happened in another,"

"That's too many…" Renji uttered in defeat, "there's no telling how long it would take Nova to search through all of them…"

"Don't give in to defeat so quickly," Urahara chimed, "if you remember, Nova's ability isn't just teleporting," There was a pause as everyone seemed to let these words sink in.

"That's right!" Chad exclaimed, the realisation hitting him, "He can also sense reiatsu across dimensions!"

"But wait…" Shuuhei said, "wasn't that just to sense the Bounts?"

"That may be so," the shopkeeper sang, "but I'm sure with a little tweaking, or with the help of some special equipment I could rustle up, he may be able to tune in on their reiatsu, _especially_ Ichigo's," he stressed, "since he's so easy to spot," Everyone in the room visibly relaxed, though there was a lingering sense of unease as they all looked towards the sleeping Nova.


End file.
